Memoirs From the Autumn Rain
by arsonphobic
Summary: When the infamous Akairan clan becomes threatened by the sudden rise of Mafia activity in Namimori, Akie is sent as a yakuza delegate to form a new alliance. But when she encounters the Rain Guardian, she realizes that for the first time in her life, her Grandfather holds little power over the bond she is to form with him. [YamamotoxOC]
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**:

To say that I grew up in a well-off family would be an understatement. Being born into a yakuza family came with many blessings. It wasn't until I realized my blessings, however, I also realized how unfortunate I was at the same time.

My father, Akiyama Juushiro, became the head of the Akairan yakuza clan at the age of twenty seven. He soon married my mother and had four sons and one daughter within the span of eighteen years. I was born when my eldest brother, Souma, was eighteen and my parents were both well into their forties. Being not only the youngest but also the only daughter, my family considered me as a family treasure since I was in my mother's womb. It was my grandfather that named me Akie, meaning 'autumn painting', after my grandmother.

Although Father was the clan head, Grandfather was a formidable clan elder that held a considerable amount of power. Everyone in the clan regardless of blood relation called Father Oyabun and Grandfather Oji-sama, but there was always something grand about the way Grandfather was referred to - as if there was some sort of fearsome power in those four syllables.

I attended public school and my family's occupation was kept a secret from the public. Although my parents wished for my childhood to be as ordinary as possible, grandfather insisted differently and demanded I be educated to prepare myself for the yakuza world. Thus from the tender age of five I followed my caretaker to learn martial arts from judo to kendo, tea ceremonies, Japanese literature, modern politics, study of Kimono, and etc. I didn't particularly hate these lessons because I found them interesting in one way or another. What I didn't enjoy as much was whenever Grandfather had me accompany him to ceremonies held by alliance clans. Yakuza events were always much more enjoyable when accompanied by my parents or brothers, but when I was with Grandfather, I was expected to be as silent as a mute. The only thing I was allowed to do was nod politely when spoken to and bow as lowly as possible when told to.

I believe I was eight when I realized everything served to make me not only into a yakuza, but an ideal lady that grandfather would hope me to be. I never felt particularly fond of Grandfather to begin with, but this knowledge gave me the motive I needed to escape his grip. It wasn't until my first year in middle school before I was given the opportunity to escape.

"Oji-sama is trying to make his only granddaughter into an offering for a successful political marriage to strengthen the clan." I heard Gin say when I eavesdropped on my brothers one night.

The voice that followed belonged to Souma. "Oji-sama believes that arranging Akie to marry into an affluent family would make her happy."

"Are you saying that's his way of loving his granddaughter 'cause that's a pretty shitty way of showing his affections." Koutei said. "I don't really find the idea of our little sister being _sold_ into marriage appealing."

Hiro clicked his tongue in agreement to Koutei's remark. He rarely spoke during these meetings but I could always tell what he meant by the little sounds he made.

Koutei was about to go on a rant when I heard Souma hush him. I suddenly felt chills run down my spine when I heard Souma call out to me. "Akie, you're there listening to us again, aren't you?"

I could never tell whether Souma had really good ears or if he could read people's minds.

Seeing there was no point in feigning innocence, I slid the bamboo door open just wide enough for my brothers to see my face. I saw Souma, Gin, Koutei, and Hiro sitting around a round table and I immediately noticed the small cups and vials of sake on the table.

Koutei scolded me for eavesdropping but regardless motioned for me to come in and sit by his side.

It seemed to me now that I was physically in the room, my brothers would change the subject of their conversation to something less important - perhaps how I was doing at school or if my friends were treating me alright. But there was an exchanging of looks between Gin and Souma as if they had made a silent decision together and I knew they were going to continue their previous conversation.

"Akie" Gin started, "I'm sure you know already but Father decided to put Souma nii-san and I in charge of our clan's branch quarters in Namimori."

I nodded. "Sou-nii and Gin-nii are moving there next month, right?" To be honest I was quite disappointed that I wouldn't get to see the eldest two of my brothers whenever I wanted to. Souma was the best to talk to whereas Gin's presence was the most comforting.

"That's right. We'll be living in the estate in Namimori. But more importantly, Souma nii-san and I were wondering if you would like to move with us to Namimori, Akie."

Hiro seemed surprised and actually verbalized himself. "Ah, so that's what you've been meaning to tell us tonight, huh?"

I don't think I truly understood how big of a deal the topic Gin brought up was, because I complied immediately without hesitation. "I'll go!" I answered enthusiastically, the thought of moving to a new location appealing to me greatly for some reason.

Koutei laughed at my spontaneity and ruffled my hair with his large hand affectionately. "This isn't something you can decide so quickly knucklehead!" he said. "Souma nii-san and Gin nii-san are serious about their offer, but they're asking you right now so you can think about it seriously before you answer them."

"That's right" Souma nodded. "We want you to consider your options carefully. If you come up with an answer with reason, we can start talking to Oji-sama about the matter."

I had completely forgotten about the fact that Grandfather was the decision maker in the family. How childish I was to think I could suddenly up and disappear from his sight! Gin dismissed me from the room after that, saying that I should go sleep since I had school the next day.

The following week I pondered how Grandfather would be persuaded. It seemed to me I didn't need much reason to go to Namimori but to evade Grandfather's grip. Before I could even begin to wonder how my parents would think, Father surprised me by telling me that the arrangements for my move had already been made. All that had to be done was that I be willing to do this.

I was surprised beyond words, especially when Grandfather called me to his room one day to say lecture me about how to behave in Namimori. Souma was there as well and the entire time he sat there I couldn't help but look at him with wonder as he smiled at me with one of his all-knowing smiles.

"You will be moving just in time to begin your first year of middle school." Grandfather said. He motioned Souma for something on his desk, which Souma retrieved quickly and handed to me. It was a student application for Namimori Middle School. "You missed the entrance exam a month ago but I will talk to them for you. Just fill that application out and turn it in on your first day of school."

Grandfather continued on with his usual instructions in which I should behave appropriately and continue on with my studies. I didn't really take much of it to heart since it was something I had been told for as long as I could remember - but I was surprised by what Grandfather had said before dismissing Souma and I out of the room.

"I expect you to make plenty of friends when you get there, Akie."

I wondered if this was Grandfather's way of being kind to me - which was an abstract idea in itself. It wasn't until later that I realized that Grandfather never said anything without something greater in mind.


	2. It Was Great While It Lasted

It took me 2 years to upload a second chapter (rip);; the POV changes to 3rd from this chapter.

Thank you for your patience and please enjoy!

* * *

**It Was Great While It Lasted**

Just as Grandfather had said, Akie's transfer into Namimori Middle was a smooth one. She wasn't very surprised to see that her Grandfather had planted a clan member as an instructor in the school. She was introduced to Mr. Yamada the day before her first day, and was promised that he would ensure her safety by staying close as a math teacher. When Akie told Souma and Gin about Mr. Yamada later that night, they scoffed at Grandfather's tendencies to keep surveillance over his "valuable assets" (as Souma and Gin put it).

It hardly bothered Akie, however, that Grandfather had another one of his pawns watching her at school. This was nothing new, considering how little privacy and freedom she already had in Tokyo.

Namimori, on the other hand, had a different vibe of peace from what the girl was used to. There were no tall buildings towering over her or cars zooming by everywhere. There were no bloody angry men storming into the main house, demanding to see one of the clan's executives. There were no kendo or target practices to attend.

Her Grandfather was in Tokyo, not Namimori.

The sudden change of environment came to her as a pleasant surprise. Freedom to this degree was a concept she had yet to explore - but was more than eager to do so.

Considering how the clan's occupation was a secret to the public even in Tokyo, making friends and doing well in school was no obstacle for Akie. A couple of girls in her class seemed interested in the fact that she had just moved from a big city such as Tokyo, and asked if she would like to eat lunch with them. Akie complied happily and found it very fortunate that Kyoko and Hana introduced her to the rest of the class.

By the end of the first month, Akie had already well-integrated herself into the class and became familiar with a good number of her peers. She became comfortable around Kyoko and Hana since they were kind and welcoming, and spent her free time with them as they gave her a tour around the small city named Namimori.

Akie excitedly told her brothers of her new friends, and how she planned to visit the cake shop on 5th street the next day as Kyoko and Hana invited her to. Souma and Gin listened to her during dinner and she saw their faces soften, smiling and laughing with her. It was as if she had found a new sense of youth - although it still felt foreign for some reason.

* * *

Akie was walking down the west wing hallway, carrying a stack of books a teacher had asked her to deliver to the resource office.

"Lady Akie!" A familiar voice called out to her in a hushed voice. She turned on her heels to see Mr. Yamada, approaching quickly with a troubled expression. "Such a trivial task is not fit for you to bother with! Please, let me take these for you."

Akie was taken aback by the way Mr. Yamada referred to her. She frantically looked around to make sure no one else was in the hallway and walked faster away from Mr. Yamada. "I told you not to me call me that at school!"

"It's rude enough for me to refer to you merely by your last name during class. The least I could do is refer to you as I should when we are alone." Mr. Yamada reached for the books in her hands, insisting that he complete her task.

She shook my head furiously, refusing his offer and was practically jogging away at this point. "I said it's fine. Please go back to what you were doing!"

"Lady Akie, I insist-"

Thud

She turned around to see what caused Mr. Yamada to stop mid-sentence and the source of the loud thud behind her. To her shock, Akie saw Mr. Yamada on the ground facefront and lifeless as if he had suddenly dropped dead. "Mr. Yamada!" She dropped the books to the ground, rushing to Mr. Yamada's limp body to hopefully shake him awake.

"He's not dead, don't worry. I just put him to sleep and he'll be back up in an a bit."

Akie whipped her head around to the source of the voice and was surprised to see a baby sitting on a window sill. The baby was wearing a black suit completed with a black fedora. What threw her into a larger panic was the green gun in his hands, which suddenly glowed and warped into a chameleon.

"Ciaossu! My name is Reborn!"

Had anyone else been confronted with this situation, they would have passed it as some odd joke or stunt. But as the daughter of an infamous yakuza clan, Akie could feel the formidable aura coming from the baby introducing himself as Reborn.

As if he was reading her mind, Reborn smirked before tipping his hat as a greeting. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here for some small chat!"

"You say small chat, but you just sedated my teacher with a… chameleon?" She responded, referring to the chameleon that seemed to have fallen asleep on top of Reborn's fedora.

"Ah, this is Leon" Reborn responded nonchalantly, "and he is my partner!" He jumped from the window sill, landing a few feet closer to face Akie properly. "And I believe you're Akiyama Akie, the fifth child and only daughter of the Akairan clan?"

Reborn's knowledge of her identity and clan sent all the alarms in Akie's mind to go beserk. It had been only a month since her transfer and things were already headed south. She had heard of child spies and such, but to see a baby in such bizarre circumstances was unheard of.

If an enemy clan had sent this baby to assassinate or kidnap her, she was ready to fight back. Dipping quickly, she reached for Mr. Yamada's jacket, lifting the edge to reveal a gun hidden under his belt. It took a total of two seconds for her to retrieve the gun and load it with a chucking sound.

Contrary to her expectations, Reborn did not flinch nor did Leon the chameleon transform into a gun again. Akie was set back by Reborn's lack of reaction and lowered the gun slowly, suddenly feeling guilty for aiming a gun at an infant.

"Seems you're quite alarmed right now. No worries though, I'm not here to hurt you." Reborn smirked, "I have no ties to any yakuzas with any malicious intent towards you. I'm affiliated with the mafia, actually."

"The mafia? What is the mafia doing here?"

"I've been employed to tutor the future 10th generation of the Vongola familia. I thought I'd introduce myself to you since we are residing in Namimori, a part of the Akairan clan's territory."

The adrenaline pumping through Akie's veins started to vanish. She felt the spinning sensation in her head slowing down as she started comprehending Reborn's words. "If you really are mafia and you're training your men in our premises, I'm sure you have a good idea of how protective yakuzas are of their territories."

"I sure am! That's why I thought I'd get your permission first!" He said carelessly, as if asking for a small favor.

Akie shook her head in disbelief. "T-That's not how it works! Maybe you don't understand because you're a baby but you can't just make it sound so simple! Y-You need to organize negotiations and treaties a-and set boundaries-"

"That's why we should create an alliance! We could skip all the complicated steps if we form an alliance, right?"

The situation de-escalated as quickly it had climaxed at Reborn's simplification of the situation. Akie lowered her weapon and stared blankly at the baby in front of her.

"Like I said… That's not how it works. Alliances are formed with negotiations and… bonds… and trust?!"

Maybe the baby in front of her was really a part of some joke? Akie no longer found Reborn threatening but bewildering, as his gaze remained fixed on her. If he was really part of a familia named Vongola, why visit Akie of all people? Souma and Gin surely have more authority within the clan and territory.

"Negotiations have already started, actually" Reborn stated as a matter of fact tone. "And you're in the center of it!"

"Huh?"

Reborn smirked. "Well, I've got places to be. Why don't you go ask your brothers the questions! Ciao!"

And with that, the baby dropped a small ninja bomb, creating a large amount of smoke that stung Akie's eyes and forced her to cough. When the smoke dissipated, Reborn was gone and Mr. Yamada had begun to regain his consciousness. Akie unloaded the gun in her hands and passed the books to Mr. Yamada before sprinting.

Although everything that just happened felt unreal and almost like a dream, Akie needed answers to Reborn's last few statements. She decided to return home immediately and forced her legs to carry her faster. She sprinted and turned a corner without slowing down, colliding into someone as a result.

"Woah! You okay?" It was Yamamoto Takeshi, a classmate she vaguely got to know recently.

"Sorry! Gotta go!" She apologized quickly, promising herself silently that she would properly apologize next time. For now, her number one priority was to find Souma and Gin.

Yamamoto watched as the girl disappeared from his sights as quickly as she had appeared. '_What an energetic girl!'_ He thought. Perhaps she would be an interesting person to get to know, as Reborn had promised him a few days ago.

* * *

When Akie returned home, she was surprised to see the black cars lined up in front of her estate. This was a familiar sight she saw back in Tokyo, and immediately knew this indicated her Grandfather's presence in Namimori. She stopped at the front entrance, giving herself a couple minutes to catch her breath and tidy her appearance. After she combed her disgruntled hair with her fingers, she inhaled deeply as she entered the estate.

Dismissing the clan men's greetings, Akie made her way to the meeting room where guards stood like pillars in front of the sliding doors. One of the men announced her arrival and a rough voice inside called for Akie's entrance.

The doors slid open and Akie saw as she expected, Souma and Gin sitting with her Grandfather with uninterpretable expressions. She bowed deeply before stepping onto the tatami floor, sitting next to her brothers.

"Oji-sama" she said in a humble voice as she bowed her head again. She hadn't felt such pressure in a while and felt her old restraints returning all at once.

Grandfather made a noise of acknowledgement and waited for Akie to raise her head again. "Akie, I see you've returned early from school. I assume Reborn-dono has made his visit to you, then."

Akie's expression changed at the mention of Reborn's name and the honorific her Grandfather attached to it. So Reborn was really a part of the mafia? And he was someone worthy of Grandfather's respect?

"I'm not sure to what extent you are informed as of yet, but it has been decided that our clan will establish a formal alliance with the Vongola familia, a formidable family within the mafia role. You will be playing a crucial role in securing this key alliance."

Akie could feel Souma and Gin's moods grow darker. Nevertheless, she held her composure and asked, "And how will I fulfill this role, Oji-sama?"

It was Grandfather's answer that sent Akie into a mental spiral of chaos.

_"By wedding one of the 10th's executives, of course."_


End file.
